Thursday, July 10th 2014

Today's Tarot card of the day is...

The Hermit

A mysterious old man walks a lonely, narrow path. He carries a light, representing his mind and knowledge he has acquired, and a staff, symbolizing the power of his will. His red belt indicates something of the passion that drives him in his search. While he has much knowledge of the world and a strong will, there is still much that is unresolved in his heart. Alone, he goes off to contemplate, to compare conventional knowledge to what he feels in his heart.

The message of the Hermit is one of self-knowledge. It is time for you to withdraw, contemplate what you know, and make sure your beliefs reflect the leading of your own heart. Now you must learn who you are and what you believe. Then you can trust yourself without depending on the opinions of others.

Be aware of withdrawing too long for the wrong reasons. Withdrawing from life out of fear or to avoid personal responsibility is not the same as self-examination.

The Hermit Tarot card suggests that you are in a phase of introspection where you are drawing your attention and focus inward and looking for answers within. You have a strong need to understand, not just at the surface level but to really know why life is the way it is. The Hermit reflects that your consciousness has moved inward and you now realise that the truth and understanding you seek is within yourself and not in the distractions of the outside world. This is a perfect time to take a step back from your day-to-day life and deeply contemplate your motivations, personal principles and values.

The Hermit reflects that you are engaging in a period of soul searching. You want to seek the truth at all costs. You desire a new direction in life and, as a result, have recently begun a journey of self-discovery and contemplation. There comes a point in life when we begin to question the status quo, knowing that there is a deeper meaning to life, and thus, we begin to search for it. This search is mainly a solitary quest because the answers do not lie in the external world but within us. Thus, the Hermit Tarot card indicates a time when you seek solitude and isolation from others. You need to be alone and you want to withdraw from the world around you. This is so that you can retreat further into your own private world and experience a deep sense of seclusion.

Through meditation, contemplation and self-examination, you may begin to re-evaluate your personal goals and change your overall direction. You will look at your life with a deeper, more spiritual understanding and will begin to change some of your priorities as a result. There is a certain level of spiritual attainment that is associated with the Hermit. The appearance of the Hermit in a Tarot card reading suggests that you need to develop the true power of a spiritual master through deep introspection. Be content with being alone or associate only with those on your level. Do not waste time and energy on those not ready or not worthy.

The Hermit represents the desire to turn away from a consumerist or materialistic society to focus on the inner world. Have you ever seen the movie or read the book, “Into the Wild”? After graduating from university, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness on his own. Whilst his story has a sad and tragic ending, his journey into the wild reminds me a lot of the Hermit, who seeks answers within and knows that they will come only with quiet and solitude.

The Hermit has learned to help others with love and compassionate detachment. This Tarot card indicates that you have gone beyond the point of being critical and you can now understand and appreciate that the varied paths people choose for themselves all lead to the same higher purpose. You have reached a high enough level of spiritual attainment yourself that you no longer need to convince others of what they should do. You can honour silence and allow your inner light to shine out towards others as a means of communication.

Meditating on the Hermit Tarot card teaches you to honour the wisdom within yourself. You must find your own light, shine it on your soul and create your own special path. Through meditation and visualisation, the Hermit allows you to get in touch with the wise person inherent within you.